A Webinar with Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, world renowned expert on health care waste treatment technologies, who has just returned from two months working with UNDP in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

About

With three West African countries deep in crisis and health systems on the brink of collapse from the Ebola outbreak last year, governments and health care providers were faced with the monumental task of disposing of large amounts of highly infectious waste.

Given the lack of infrastructure in the affected countries, there was often little option but to burn the waste in open pits or rudimentary incinerators. This created a secondary set of problems including exposure of health care workers and local populations to noxious fumes and highly carcinogenic emissions of dioxins and furans.

Dr. Emmanuel will present on his experiences and work in West Africa.In the midst of this situation, UNDP sent Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, world-renowned expert on health care waste treatment technologies to West Africa to pilot African-manufactured small scale autoclaves (steam sterilization technologies) as an alternative that would protect public health while also strengthening local health systems in the long run.

Objectives:

• Discuss the issues, treatment and disposal requirement for highly infectious health care waste that can be transmitted by contact with infectious substances such as Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers
• Provide case example of Ebola waste management from West Africa
• Discuss the application of non-incineration methods in other settings including risks and benefits

When?

GGHH will be hosting 2 sessions to accommodate a variety of time zones. Free of charge. Both sessions will be recorded and need registration prior to the event.

• Session 1 | Wednesday April 22, 7 am Pacific Time Zone, 11 am Argentina Time Zone, 4 pm Central European Time Zone, 4 pm South Africa Time Zone, 10 pm Philippine Time Zone. 
• To register for Session 1, click here. Check your time zone
• Session 2 | Wednesday April 22: 7 pm Pacific Time Zone, 11 pm Argentina Time Zone and Thursday April 23: 4 am Central European Time Zone, 4 am South Africa Time Zone, 7.45 am Nepal Time Zone, 10 am Philippine Time Zone and 10 am China Time Zone. 
• To register for Session 2, click here. Check your time zone

Space is limited. Both sessions will be in English. Those who participate in the entire webinar will receive a Certificate of Attendance by email. When you complete the registration form, please provide your name as you would like it to appear on the Certificate of Attendance.

Presenters

• Dr. Jorge Emmanuel served as Chief technical officer for the UNDP/WHO/HCWH 8 country model health care waste management project, is the author of the UNEP Compendium of Technologies for the Treatment/Destruction of Healthcare Waste, and author and editor of the WHO manual for the Safe Management of Health Care Waste.
• Respondents, including Ruth Stringer, International Science and Policy Coordinator, Health Care Without Harm, and Faye Ferrer, Green Hopsitals Campaigner, Health Care Without Harm- Asia, will react to the presentation and discuss the application of similar methods in a variety of health care settings.